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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. craft — boats
  3. suit — in cards
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. last — finally
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — to go on
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — for catching
  12. suit — clothes
  13. craft — a skill
  14. net — after costs
  15. suit — to fit
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. charge — a price
  18. bound — tied together
  19. net — in sport
  20. bound — obliged
  21. content — the amount
  22. charge — in control
  23. last — final
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com